Sueños Program: Internships for Local Businesses

Internships for Local Businesses

The Sueños Program is designed to balance classroom instruction with real-world experience. To that end, Sueños staff work to match program participants with local employers for internships. These short-term work experience (WEX) opportunities provide the kind of “hands on” experience our young job seekers need to learn about careers from the inside out, enhance their general employability, experience how a business really works from people already working in that business, and begin developing their professional network.
 
But internships have significant benefits for businesses as well. Small and medium-sized businesses in particular can leverage internships to more effectively manage workflow, aid in achieving immediate business objectives, as well as find and “test drive” new talent that can help grow your business.
 
Dr. Faris Sabbah
Dr. Faris Sabbah
Superintendent
Michael Paynter
Director, Student Support Services
(831) 466-5729
Nohemi Macias
Senior Community Organizer
(831) 466-5710

A Win-Win for Businesses

Sueños internships are funded 100% through WIOA program funds, so there is no cost to the employer. All program participants are screened by Sueños staff to ensure a successful internship experience, and the program also handles all workers compensation insurance requirements. Additionally, there is no obligation to hire participants at the end of the internship period.

So what else do employers gain?

Help with projects
Most businesses typically have a number of projects or tasks that they’re struggling to complete. An interested intern has hopes of accomplishing something that can be added to his or her résumé or in future interviews. If they are given them real, meaningful work, interns typically contribute significantly to making the organization run smoother or more easily attain key objectives.

New perspective on organizational issues
Interns challenge “the way we’ve always done it” mentality. They bring fresh new ideas to the job and they’re good at questioning processes, often able to see a better way of doing things that others may not.

Technology skills
Social media, computer programs, iPads—these are a piece of cake for young professionals. In many of today’s social media-driven markets, employers can always use a hand from a Gen Y tech-savvy intern.

A no-obligation trial period
An internship is a great way to see how much potential a participant has in the field. Business owners and managers get to see the intern’s skills and work ethic under real-world conditions, and evaluate their potential should there be an interest in bringing them on board as a regular paid employee—and all without the expense of recruiting fees or classified advertising.

Enhance your brand
When business owners and managers establish themselves as positive, success-oriented internship supervisors and mentors, the interns they hire will talk about their experience among their peers, friends and family members, essentially giving that employer free advertising and enhancing the organization’s “street cred” in the community.

Please contact our Business Services Representative for more information on how to have a Sueños program intern working for you. Call 831-466-5672 or email:wioasuenos@santacruzcoe.org